IT’S IN OUR BONES | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation

It’s In Our Bones by Bart Bailey is more than a book—it’s an excavation, a careful and courageous unearthing of the stories we inherit and the ones we choose to carry forward. With the clarity of a seasoned leader and the soul of an artist, he invites us to sit with our ancestors, to listen in the stillness of nature, and to examine the generational scripts that shape our understanding of the world. Without blame, shame, or guilt, he asks us to honor what has been “baked into our bones” while summoning the courage to release what no longer serves our shared humanity.

Bailey’s voice is pragmatic and poetic, a fusion of strategic insight and deep personal reflection. As a DEI leader and storyteller, he bridges the personal and the collective, offering a framework for transformation that is as relevant to individuals as it is to institutions. It’s In Our Bones is an offering—a call to deepen our humanity, nurture curiosity, and move toward a future where belonging is not just an idea, but an embodied practice. As Ed Hurley-Wales writes, “My hope for you as a reader is simple yet profound: that you’ll come away with a deeper understanding of yourself and a renewed commitment to what it means to be human.

Bart Bailey is joining us on the Busboys stage alongside Howard Ross. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Bailey will be signing following the program.

This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of IT’S IN OUR BONES will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in person and will not be livestreamed. 

We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books

Bart Bailey is a highly trained executive, business, and leadership coach with over 25 years of corporate experience leading cross-functional teams in engineering, operations, customer service, and manufacturing. As the Owner and Principal Consultant of Courage to Care, LLC, he leverages Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) principles to foster belonging and minimize othering. His career spans leadership roles at Jersey Central Power, Harley-Davidson, Alcoa, and PPL Electric Utilities, where he focused on employee engagement, Lean thinking, and change management. Bailey’s expertise in creating safe spaces for transformative dialogue has made him a sought-after facilitator for unconscious bias and cultural competency workshops with organizations such as UC Berkeley, Verizon, New York Presbyterian, and Lehigh Valley Health Network.

A dedicated advocate for equity and inclusion, Bailey has served as an adjunct professor at William James College, developed leadership curricula, and facilitated workshops with police departments and middle school students to promote empathy and understanding. He is an active member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce’s African American Business Leaders Council, the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). He chairs the scholarship committee for the Alpha Mu Nu Chapter of Omega Psi Phi. Through his work, Bailey continues to empower individuals, teams, and communities to step into their passion and purpose. A special note of acknowledgment for publication coach and support, Veronica Miller.

Howard Ross is a lifelong social justice advocate and is considered one of the world’s seminal thought leaders on identifying and addressing unconscious bias. He is the author of ReInventing Diversity: Transforming Organizational Community to Strengthen People, Purpose and Performance, (published by Rowman and Littlefield in conjunction with SHRM in 2011), and the Washington Post best seller, Everyday Bias: Identifyingand Navigating Unconscious Judgments  in Our Daily Lives, (published by Rowman and Littlefield in 2014). His latest book, Our Search for Belonging: How Our Need to Connect is Tearing Us Apart, released by Berrett- Koehler in May of 2018, won the 2019 Nautilus BookAward Gold Medal for Social Change and Social Justice. 

Howard has specialized in the synthesis of neuro-cognitive and social science research and direct application re: Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Accessibility work. His client work has focused on the areas of corporate culture change, leadership development, and managing diversity. Ross has successfully implemented large-scale organizational culture change efforts in the area of managing diversity and cultural integration in academic institutions, professional services corporations, Fortune 500 companies, and retail, health care, media, and governmental institutions in 47 of the United States and over 40 countries worldwide. In addition, Howard has delivered programs at Harvard University Medical School, Stanford University Medical School, Johns Hopkins University, the WhartonSchool of Business, Duke University and Washington University Medical School and over 20 other colleges and Universities. Howard served as the 2007- 2008 Johnnetta B. Cole Professor of Diversity Professor of Diversity at Bennett College for Women, the first time a white man had ever served in such a position at an HBCU.

Howard’s writings have been published by the Harvard Business Review, the Washington Post, the New York Times, Fast Company Magazine, Diversity Women Magazine, Forbes Magazine, Fortune Magazine and dozens of other publications. He appears monthly on National Public Radio. Howard has served on numerous not-for-profits boards, including the Diversity Advisory Board of the Human Rights Campaign, the board of directors of the Dignity and Respect Campaign, and the board of the directors for the National Women’s Mentoring Network. Howard has been the recipient of many awards, including the 2009 Operation Understanding Award for Community Service; the 2012 Winds of Change Award from the Forum on Workplace Diversity and Inclusion; the 2013 Diversity Peer Award from Diversity Women Magazine; the 2014 Catalyst Award from Uptown Professional Magazine; the 2014 Catalyst for Change Award from Wake Forest University; the 2015 Trendsetter in HR by SHRM Magazine; and the 2016 Leadership in Diversity Award by the World Human Resources Development Conference in Mumbai, India. He was also named an Honorary Medicine Man by the Eastern Cherokee Reservation in N.C., and given Medicine Holder designation by the Pawnee Nation. Howard is also a former Rock ‘n Roll Musician and has taught meditation and mindfulness for more than 20 years, including his role as co-founder and Lead Facilitator for the Inner Journey Seminars.

Howard founded Cook Ross Inc., one of the nation’s leading Diversity and Inclusion consultancies. He sold the company in July 2018 and founded Udarta Consulting, LLC. Howard keynotes and speaks regularly at Conferences for SHRM, SHRM Diversity, the Forum for Workplace Inclusion, National Association of Corporate Directors, ATD, the World Diversity Forum, and dozens of others.

Host or Publisher Busboys and Poets